New Delhi, August 27: Investigations into various activities linked to the ISI in India have revealed the emergence of several covert organizations aimed at providing cover for the main terrorist group.
For instance, the Resistance Front is a front organization for Lashkar-e-Taiba. The ISI created it to give Lashkar-e-Taiba an excuse to evade responsibility after each attack. Similarly, new recruitment modules are operating under the names of other front organizations.
Shehzad Bhatti’s network operated under the banner of Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH). TTH is a non-existent organization, and this name was fabricated by the ISI to conceal Bhatti’s network. Another reason for coining the TTH name was to link it with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has wreaked havoc on Pakistani security forces.
The ISI aims to suggest that TTH and TTP are interconnected, implying India’s involvement in TTP’s activities in Pakistan.
An intelligence bureau official stated that such covert organizations are not only created to provide an excuse for banned terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammed. Indian agencies have no records of these groups, and the Ministry of Home Affairs has not imposed bans under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
This lack of documentation complicates the task for Indian agencies to share information about these covert organizations with international agencies and Interpol. In recent weeks, several such organizations have become active. Besides TTH, groups like the United Sikh Brotherhood (USB), Sikh Tigers of Khalistan (STK), Khalistan Armed Force (KAF), Sher-e-Punjab Brigade (SPB), Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA), and Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) are also operational.
An official noted that all these organizations are non-existent. He explained that they serve as fronts for other Khalistani terrorist groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and Shehzad Bhatti’s network.
Another official remarked that it is well-known why these names are in the spotlight. Eventually, the real organization behind the anti-India activities will be revealed.
The official added that establishing connections takes time. Delays in investigations allow parent groups to reorganize and rethink their strategies.
Officials stress the importance of exposing such organizations and quickly identifying their parent terrorist groups. Most operatives involved in ISI-related cases are based abroad, making it crucial to involve international agencies.
For the United Nations or the United States to impose sanctions on these organizations, they must first be banned in India, and charges must be filed in courts. However, if investigators can swiftly identify the parent organization behind these groups, securing convictions and attracting the international community’s attention becomes relatively easier. The example of the Resistance Front illustrates this point.
It took agencies several months to determine that it was a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba. Following this, the Ministry of Home Affairs placed the Resistance Front on its banned list.
Recently, the United States also imposed sanctions on this organization. An official stated that Pakistan will continue to fabricate new names for fictional organizations, posing a significant challenge for Indian agencies in the future.
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